Telling the Stories of the Many and the One

July 4, 2017July 1, 2017

A board and stone in every home!

This weekʻs Takeaway Tuesday is with Eric Keawe, a Native Hawaiian Practitioner, as he talks about the process of picking and creating his kuʻi kalo (taro pounder) and the importance of health in the Hawaiian community.

“I’ve learned a lot, I’ve learned a lot, not only of the making of the implements but the protocol. And not only the pohaku (rock pounder) that you need to shape. There’s also the kowai (pounding board). I went up and found the tree that was perfect for us that we would want to make our own instrument.

Our motto is, a board and stone in every home. In that way, what you need to do is just you’ll get your own kalo (taro). You can buy that kalo raw, take it home, cook it and you can make just enough for what your family needs. No need to buy excess because then you waste.

We’re looking at ways to make our diets better because you know, there’s so much diabetes in our culture that we’re trying to learn how to eat what the real Hawaiians had back in the day.

So there’s a lot to learn. I’m still learning. This is just the beginning for me.”